Dispenser having means to dispense articles alternately from a plurality of sources



J. E. WELLS' DISPENSER HAVING MEANS TQ DI Filed Aug. 18, 1967 Feb. 18, 1969 3,428,215 v SPENSE ARTICLES ALTERNATELY FROM A PLURALITY 0F SOURCES Sheet' of 2 Feb. 18., 1969 E. WELLS 3,428,215 SPENSE ARTICLES ALTERNATELY FROM 7 A PLURALITY OF sounc s s Sheet DISPENSER .HAVING MEANS TO DI Filed Aug. 18, 1967 AVG.

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United States Patent 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A matchbook dispenser consisting of a vertical housing with :a bottom extension having a top wall serving as a "delivery surface. The housing has a storagev space for vertically-stacking two piles of book matches with a removable vertical partitiontherebetween. The housing has a removable front wall providing access to the storage space. A transversely-slidable block is provided in the bottom extension with a horizontal actuating lever projecting forwardly through a slot in the front wall of the bottom extension. Forwardly-slidable pusher plates are provided beneath each stack of book matches, engageable with the lowermost matchbook to push it out through a. delivery slot leading to the delivery surface. A solenoid is carried by the slidable block, the plunger of the solenoid having an upstanding arm engageable with either pusher plate to push it forwardly responsive to the energization of the solenoid. A control switch for energizing the solenoid is provided on top of the vertical housing. In a. modification the pusher plates are pushed forwardly mechanically responsive to operation of the actuating lever.

This invention relates to dispensing machines, and more particularly to devices adapted to hold and dispense small, relatively flat objects, such as matchbooks, or the like.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved dispensing device for relatively flat objects, such as matchbooks, or the like, the machine being relatively simple in construction, being very easy to operate, being easy to refill when required, and being neat in appearance.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved dispensing machine for relatively flat objects, such as matchbooks, or the like, the machine being inexpensive to manufacture, being durable in construction,

being operable smoothly with minimum tendencies to jam or to become clogged, and efficiently and reliably dispensing the objects contained therein in response to relatively simple manipulations of its control elements.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved matchbook dispensing device which is relatively compact in size, which can be easily refilled, and which dispenses matchbooks without causing any damage to the matchbooks.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of an improved dispenser for matchbooks and similar flat objects, constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken through the lower portion of the dispensing device of FIGURE 1, substantially in the plane of the actuating lever of the device, said view being taken substantially on the line 22 of FIGURE 4, looking upwardly.

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

3,428,215 Patented Feb. 18, 1969 with the present invention, and employing a mechanical matchbook-delivery arrangement.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the modified form of dispensing device of FIGURE 6.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 to 5, 11 generally designates a matchbook dispenser constructed in accordance with the present invention. The matchbook dispenser 11 comprises a vertical housing 12 having the vertical sidewalls 13, 13 and the vertical rear wall 14. The housing 12 is further provided with the horizontal top wall 15 and the horizontal bottomwall 16. The housing is formed with a forwardly-projecting base portion, designated generally at 17, the sidewalls 13, 13 being generally L-shaped to provide said forwardly-projecting base, and the front vertical edges of the lower portions of sidewalls 13 being connected by the transversely-extending vertical front wall 18. The base 17 is provided with the horizontal top wall 19, forming a horizontal delivery surface.

The housing 12 is provided with the internal transversely-extending vertical partition wall 20 spaced forwardly from the rear wall 14, as shown in FIGURE 4, to define a rear vertical space 21 and a forward vertical space 22 adapted to receive 'a pair of vertical stacks of book matches 23. The storage compartment 22 is provided with a removable vertical front wall 24 whose vertical edges are receivable in vertical recesses 25 provided in the forward edges of the vertical upper portions of the L-shaped sidewalls 13, 13, the recesses 25 extending slightly below the plane of the top edges 26 of the horizontal bottom legs of sidewalls 13, 13, as shown in FIGURE 4, whereby to define seats or recesses 27 receiving the bottom corners of the rectangular removable front wall 24. A resilient downwardly-facing hooked latch member 28 is secured to the intermediate portion of the forward margin of top wall 15, the hook of the latch member 28 lockingly-engaging with the top edge of the removable front wall 24, as shown in FIGURE 4, to retain the front wall in place. The front wall 24 may be removed by flexing the hooked latch member 28 upwardly, whereby to disengage the latch member from the top edge of the wall 24, allowing the wall to be pivoted forwardly and withdrawn.

The matchbook storage compartment 22 is provided with an intermediate divider plate 30 which is also removable, the top edge of the divider plate 30 being received in a center groove 31 formed in the underside of top wall 15 and extending parallel to the sidewalls 13, 13. The bottom edge of the divider plate 30 is slidably-received in an upwardly-facing guide groove 32 opposite to and parallel with the top guide groove 31, the groove 32 being formed in a divider block 33 secured on horizontal wall 19 midway between the sidewalls of the housing and extending parallel thereto rearwardly as far as the fixed partition wall 20. The lower portion of the divider plate 30 has the forwardly-projecting rectangular lug element 34 adapted to underlie the bottom edge of the removable front wall 24, as is clearly shown in FIGURES 1 and 4.

Side blocks 36, 36 are secured to the inside surfaces of the sidewalls 13, 13 symmetrically on opposite sides of the divider block 33, as shown in FIGURE 1. Inwardlyextending horizontal guide flanges 37, 37 are secured on the top surfaces of the block 33 on opposite sides of the groove 32, and opposing inwardly projecting horizontal flanges 38 in the same horizontal plane as the flanges 37 are secured on the side blocks 36.

Respective rectangular notches 40, 40 are formed in the rear portion of the horizontal wall 19, said notches opening at the rear edge of the horizontal wall 19 and being respectively located under the storage spaces for the vertically-stacked book matches 23 on opposite sides of the center partition plate 30. slidably-engaged under the respective opposing flanges 38, 37 on opposite sides of the center block 33 are respective transversely-extending plate elements 41, the side plates of the plates 41 being suitably-grooved to receive the guide flanges 37, 38. Rigidly-secured to the rear edge portions of the sliding plates 41 are L-shaped pusher bars 42 whose horizontal bottom legs are slidably-received in the rectangular notches 40, as shown in FIGURE 4, and whose upstanding vertical legs project upwardly a sufficient distance to engage the lowermost matchbook 23 of the associated vertical stack, and to push the lowermost matchbook forwardly to delivery position through the delivery slot defined beneath the bottom edge of the removable front wall 24, in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 5. Respective coiled springs 43 connect the L-shaped pusher bars 42 to stationary pins 44 located on a horizontal shelf element 45 fixedly-secured in the rear portion of housing 12 at a level slightly above that of the horizontal wall 19, as shown in FIGURE 4. The shelf member 45 is formed with the wide rectangular forwardly-facing notch 46 providing clearance for rearward movement of the respective pusher bars 42, 42.

Secured in the lower portion of the housing 12 is a generally U-shaped horizontal partition wall 47 having the rectangular rearwardly-facing notch 48. Pivoted to bottom wall 16 at 49 is the actuating lever 50 which is located in the space between bottom wall 16 and horizontal partition wall 47, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 4. The forward end of lever 50 projects outwardly through a horizontal slot 52 provided at the bottom marginal portion of the vertical front wall 18, the pivot connection 49 being located substantially midway between the sidewalls 13, 13 and substantially at the midpoint of the lever 50, as shown in FIGURE 2. The inner end portion of lever 50 is provided with the longitudinal slot 53, and slidably and rotatably-connected to the lever by a headed pin 54 engaged through said slot is a transversely-slidable block 55. Block 55 is sildably-supported for transverse movement on a plurality of transversely-extending horizontal rods 56 secured between the sidewalls 13, 13 substantially in the same horizontal plane as the bottom partition wall 47, whereby the block 55 is constrained to move transversely within the confines of the rearwardly-facing rectangular notch 48. Mounted on block 55 is a solenoid 60 arranged with its axis parallel to the sidewalls 13, 13 and having the rearwardly-projecting plunger 61 which is biased rearwardly by a coiled spring 62 connected between the rear end of the plunger and an upstanding post member 63 secured on the rear end portion of block 55. Rigidly-secured to the rear end of plunger 61 is the upstanding vertical arm 65 which is positioned behind a pusher bar 42 in either one of the two extreme operating positions of the actuating lever 50. The lever 50 is limited to said extreme operating positions by the abutment of the sliding block 55 with the side arms of the U-shaped horizontal partition wall 47. Thus, when the block 55 is in one of said positions adjacent a side arm of horizontal wall 47, energization of the solenoid 60 causes the upstanding arm 65 to drive the adjacent pusher bar element 42 forwardly from the position shown in FIGURE 4 to the position shown in FIGURE 5, causing the lowermost matchbook of the vertical stack thereabove to be pushed forwardly toward delivery position.

A suitable line cord, not shown, is connected to the solenoid 60 through a push-button control switch 67 mounted on top wall and extending into the compartment 21, as shown in FIGURE 4. The wires interconnecting the solenoid with control switch 67 and the line cord are of sufficient length and are sufficiently flexible to permit free movement of block 55.

With the lever 50 in the position thereof shown in FIG- URE 1, namely, protruding through the right-end portion of the slot 52, and with the line cord above-mentioned connected to a suitable outlet receptacle, operation of the push-button switch 67 will energize the solenoid 60 and cause it to retract its plunger 61. This causes the upstanding arm to be moved forwardly, forcing the pusher bar 42 forwardly in the same direction, the pusher bar 42 "being that associated with the left-hand stack of book matches 23, as viewed in FIGURE 1. Accordingly, the lowermost match book of the left-hand stack is pushed forwardly, in the manner shown in FIGURE 5, to an exposed position over the delivery surface plate 19, where the individual operating the machine can readily grasp the same and remove the exposed matchbook. As shown in FIGURE 5, the exposed matchbook rests on the opposing flanges 37, 38. As soon as the push-button switch 67 is released, the solenoid 60 becomes de-energized, a1- lowing the spring 62 to return its plunger 61 to the normal, rearward position thereof shown in FIGURE 4. This operation may be continued as long as more matchbooks are desired. To obtain matchbooks from the right-hand stack, the lever 50 is rotated so that it protrudes from the left-end portion of slot 52, as viewed in FIGURE 1, after which matchbooks may be delivered from the right-hand stack by repeatedly operating the push-button switch 67 in the manner above-described.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate a modified form of the invention wherein the operation is entirely mechanical. In this form of the invention, a lever 50' is pivoted at 49' to the bottom wall 16 of the main housing, the lever 50' extending forwardly and projecting through a slot defined between the front margin of bottom wall 16 and the transversely-extending vertical front bar element 71 rigidly-connected between the forward ends of the lower portions of sidewalls 13, 13. The forward end of the lever 50 is provided with an upstanding operating handle 72. The lever 50' has the reduced inner end portion 73 to the end of which is journaled a horizontal roller 74 which is normally located rearwardly between respective substantially similar horizontal rollers 75, 75 located beneath and journaled to the respective sliding blocks 41 carrying the pusher bars 42 above-described. The shaft 77 of the rollers 75 extends slidably through longitudinal slots 78 formed in a horizontal guide plate 79 secured between the sidewalls 13, 13, corresponding to the plate element 19 of the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 5. In operation, rotation of the lever 50 in either direction from the normal position thereof shown in FIGURE 7 toward abutment with either one of two stop plates 80, 80 secured to sidewalls 13, 13 causes the roller 74 to drivingly-engage with one of the rollers 75, cansing the associated pusher member 42 to be moved forwardly against the tension of its biasing spring 43, causing the lowermost matchbook of one of the stacks to be projected forwardly to an exposed position at thefront of the machine, similar to that shown in FIGURE 5. Release of the operating handle 72 allows the biasing spring 43 to return the associated pusher element 42 to its rearward position, restoring the parts to their normal positions shown in FIGURES 6 and 7.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser for fiat articles, such as matchbooks, or the like, comprising a vertical housing, means in said housing defining a pair of side-by-side compartments to receive vertical stacks of said flat articles, a base beneath the compartments having a horizontal delivery surface, said compartments having a common front wall spaced above the delivery surface to define a horizontal delivery slot, respective pusher elements slidably-mounted beneath the compartments for forward and rearward reciprocatorv movements in a plane substantially parallel to said delivery surface, each pusher element having an upstanding projection engageable with the lowermost of a stack of said flat articles in the associated compartment, a horizontal actuating lever pivoted on the base and projecting forwardly thereof, and means for selectively reciprocating said pusher elements responsive to pivotal movements of said horizontal lever the means reciprocating said pusher elements comprises a transversely movable support mounted on said base, means drivingly connecting said lever to said support, a solenoid mounted on said support and having a longitudinally-extended plunger and abutment means on said plunger engageable with said elements.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, and wherein said delivery surface comprises a horizontal plate member formed with respective longitudinal slots beneath the compartments, each pusher element having a depending guide portion slidably-engaged in one of said longitudinal slots.

3. The dispenser of claim 2, and spring means biasing the pusher elements rearwardly.

4. The dispenser of claim 3, and wherein said common front wall is removable.

5. The dispenser of claim 4, and wherein said housing has vertical sidewalls formed at their forward edges with recesses in which the side edges of the front wall are receivable and has a top wall provided with a hooked resilient latch element lockingly-engageable with the top edge of said top wall.

6. The dispenser of claim 1, and wherein said movable support comprises a block element having a plurality of transverse bores, and transverse rods secured in said base and slidably and supportingly-engaged in said bores.

7. The dispenser of claim 6, and wherein said abutment means comprises an upstanding vertical arm secured on said plunger in a position to engage behind the pusher elements.

8. The dispenser of claim 6, and wherein said base is provided with a fixed horizontal internal plate member located adjacent and above the plane of the actuating lever, said plate member having a rectangular rearwardlyfacing notch, said block element being located in and being transversely-movable in said notch.

9. The dispenser of claim 8, and wherein said rods are secured transversely in said notch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 409,055 8/1889 Mitchell 221-281 1,503,072 7/1924 Spooner et a1. 221-127 1,504,643 8/1924 Nudl 221-131 1,611,742 12/1926 Hammer 221-281 X 1,726,924 9/1929 Ryan 221l27 1,919,667 7/ 1933 Raymond 221305 X 1,951,746 3/1934 Bonaccolta et a1. 221281 X 2,636,795 4/1953 Williams 22127l X 2,684,783 7/1954 Ahlstrom 221258 2,911,127 11/1959 Driss et al 22l258 WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

